Serum Institute’s Cervavac to prevent cervical cancer gets DCGI nod

Skull and Bones · Jul 13, 2022

CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), Adar Poonawalla said the vaccine is very important, particularly for all adolescent girls to protect themselves against cervical cancer.

‘Cervavac’, the country’s first quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) was approved by the Drug Controller General of India for market authorisation, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said in a tweet Tuesday. The vaccine protects women against cervical cancer.

When contacted, CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), Adar Poonawalla, told The Indian Express that the vaccine is very important, particularly for all adolescent girls to protect themselves against cervical cancer.
Earlier, Poonawalla had tweeted that for the first time there will be an Indian HPV vaccine to treat cervical cancer in women that is both affordable and accessible. Tuesday, he tweeted, “We look forward to launching it later this year and thank the DCGI and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for granting approval today.”

“The staff at the Serum Institute of India have focussed on the development of non-Covid vaccines also as we knew that after the pandemic is over, there will be many diseases that will need attention and intervention. In particular, this vaccine is very important for adolescent girls as teenagers and upwards need to protect themselves against cervical cancer,” Poonawalla said Tuesday.

The vaccine will ensure prevention of cancers caused by human papillomavirus (Type 6, 11, 16 and 18) vaccine recombinant, said SII sources. According to sources close to SII, the vaccine trials commenced in September 2018 across 12 sites in the country. The phase 2/3 clinical trial was completed with the support of the Department of Biotechnology. The sources added, the vaccine will be launched towards the end of the year.

HPV is a common virus that is passed from one person to another during sex. Long-lasting infection with certain types of HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer. In India, cervical cancer accounted for 9.4 per cent of all cancers and 18.3 per cent (1,23,907) of new cases in 2020 according to a report in the Indian Journal of Gynaecologic Oncology (December 2021). Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women in India despite being largely preventable. Majority of the cervical cancer related deaths occur in low and middle income countries where routine gynaecological screening is minimal or absent.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Dr Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at WHO told The Indian Express that Cervavac is good news. “It will be great to see this vaccine being rolled out in the national HPV vaccination strategies in India and globally. We have a real opportunity to eliminate cervical cancer which causes a lot of death and suffering worldwide among women,” Dr Swaminathan said.

Cervical cancer can be eliminated if all prepubertal girls are given HPV vaccination globally, Dr Swaminathan tweeted. While cervical cancer vaccines are available in the private market through international firms like Merck and others, several have welcomed the homegrown vaccine. Dr Sanjay Gupte, former President of Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, said, “We have been waiting for a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer for a long time. HPV testing should also be promoted. Cervical cancer vaccine should be a must for school girls above the age of nine,” Dr Gupte said.